The 70 Best Indie Comedy Movies

The 70 Best Indie Comedy Movies

April 24, 2025

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These days, “indie,” “comedy,” and even “drama” seem interchangeable. But while there are overlaps, nothing beats an honest-to-goodness independent comedy. You know, the one starring people who are nobodies, or were nobodies but quickly grew to stardom thanks to their charisma and wit. In this list, we’re rounding up the most highly-rated but little-known comedies available to stream.

41. Dating Amber (2020)

7.6

Genres

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Director

David Freyne

Actors

Adam Carolan, Ally Ni Chiarain, Anastasia Blake, Andrew Bennett

Moods

Easy, Feel-Good, Funny

This lovely comedy-romance from Ireland is about a closeted gay teen and his lesbian schoolmate who pretend to be in a relationship to avoid being bullied at their school.

This premise makes Dating Amber an original story in a genre in which that’s increasingly rare. This is added to the setting, in 1995 rural Ireland, which is executed to gorgeous perfection in everything from the clothes to the music.

Dating Amber ends up being more coming-of-age than a comedy-romance. It’s a tale of friendship and self-acceptance.

42. Klown (2011)

7.6

Genres

Comedy

Director

Mikkel Nørgaard

Actors

Anne Moen, Barbara Zatler, Bent Fabricius-Bjerre, Björn Gustafsson

There is no shortage of offensive jokes in this comedy about a man who tries to prove to his girlfriend that he is dad-material. Think Borat, but Danish, and with brothels.

The man in question tries to change his lifestyle after his girlfriend, not thinking he is responsible enough, hides the fact that she is pregnant. To prove her wrong, he takes his nephew on a canoeing trip with his equally as disastrous friend.

43. Saint Frances (2019)

7.6

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Director

Alex Thompson

Actors

Bradley Grant Smith, Charin Alvarez, Chris Coats, Courtney Rioux

Moods

Feel-Good, Funny, Grown-up Comedy

This fun comedy-drama is about Bridget, a 34-year-old who hasn’t quite got it all figured out, but at least she’s trying: after terminating an accidental pregnancy, she gets herself a summer gig as a nanny for a fearless six-year-old by the name of Frances. 

Tackling a myriad of “taboo” topics including abortion, menstruation, and depression, the movie visually normalizes human experiences that remain underrepresented in mainstream cinema. And writer Kelly O’Sullivan, who also plays Bridget, has a screenplay that manages to do it all without feeling didactic.

44. Shortcomings (2023)

7.6

Genres

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Director

Randall Park

Actors

Adam Enright, Adrian Tomine, Ally Maki, Boran Anh

Moods

Easy, Grown-up Comedy, Romantic

It’s always tricky translating literature to screen. In Shortcomings’ case, it struggles to make its Berkeley and New York settings appear more lived-in than just a few postcard-like frames. You could also tell that the conversations it stirs up about things like representation and mixed-race relationships began in the early aughts, when the novel it was adapted from was first released. But those lapses are small and forgivable in the face of a lovely ensemble cast and a whipsmart script.

It also takes a special kind of skill to make a character as fiercely unlikeable as Ben (Min) watchable, to hold up a mirror to the audience and make them stay. Thankfully, it’s a skill that Tomine and first-time director Randall Park display with such grace. Ben, Alice (Sherry Cola), and Miko (Ally Maki) are flawed and often pathetic, but they’re also honest reflections of who we become when the demands of self-preservation and romantic openness clash. It’s a little unnerving to hear them verbalize what we’ve always feared about ourselves, but it’s also exhilarating, not to mention comforting, knowing that we’re not alone in feeling this way. Shortcomings works because it doesn’t confine itself to genre: it’s a character study first, and a romantic comedy second.

45. Life is Sweet (1990)

7.5

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Director

Mike Leigh

Actors

Alison Steadman, Claire Skinner, David Neilson, David Thewlis

Moods

Weird

Equal parts touching and comical, this portrait of a working-class family in a suburb just north of London features twin daughters who couldn’t be more different—the brainy and good-natured Natalie, and her sneering, layabout sister Nicola. Written and directed by Mike Leigh (Another Year, Happy-Go-Lucky) expect the slow, dreamy representation of British society from one of the country’s best and most renowned directors.

46. Brigsby Bear (2017)

7.5

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Director

Dave McCary

Actors

Alexa Demie, Andy Samberg, Angella Joy, Beck Bennett

Moods

Feel-Good, Funny, Grown-up Comedy

After being held captive his whole life, a man sets out to finish the only show he’s ever seen. Thoughtfully written with a creative cast; it is not a film you would expect to laugh at and enjoy so thoroughly with such an unconventionally dark premise. However, it is a hilarious, wholesome, and loving film that will leave your heart feeling warm.

47. The Good Boss (2022)

7.5

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Director

Fernando León de Aranoa

Actors

Almudena Amor, Celso Bugallo, Daniel Chamorro, Fernando Albizu

Moods

Funny, Grown-up Comedy, Lighthearted

In this office comedy of errors, Javier Bardem plays Blanco, the titular boss, but whether he is actually good is what the movie wryly examines.

As head of a small manufacturing company, Blanco treats his employees intimately, going so far as make their problems his own. He believes this is why his company is nominated for an excellence certification, but as he waits for the possible award, cracks start to appear in his “work is family” facade as everything that could go wrong, starts going wrong. The Good Boss is an anxiety fest for Blanco to be sure, but a winning tragicomedy for us all.

48. Rye Lane (2023)

7.5

Genres

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Director

Female director, Raine Allen-Miller

Actors

Alice Hewkin, Benjamin Sarpong-Broni, Cain Aiden, Charlotte Melia

Moods

Easy, Feel-Good, Grown-up Comedy

Rye Lane knows it’s treading familiar ground by having its charming leads fall in love as they walk and talk their way through a beautiful city. So instead of experimenting on a tried-and-tested setup, it smartly focuses on specificity. It hones in on the characters’ Gen Z woes and cranks up the British references, giving itself character and charm for days. It also finds other ways to be inventive as it trades plot twists for bold editing and camerawork. Rye Lane is a refreshing entry into romcom cinema, but it is also obviously a big fan of it as it holds plenty of homages and subversions of the genre. This one is made for and by romcom fans, and it’s always nice to see a modern love story set during our times.

49. Interstate 60 (2002)

7.5

Genres

Adventure, Comedy, Drama

Director

Bob Gale

Actors

Amy Smart, Christopher Lloyd, Gary Oldman, James Marsden

Moods

Easy, Inspiring, Quirky

Without wish-granting mythical creatures like genies or fairies, it can seem that America has no one but themselves in life, and things can come only through one’s own efforts. Interstate 60 plays with that idea, with a fictional O.W. Grant (Gary Oldman) that supposedly grants wishes, though how it manifests depends on how much he likes you. It’s a fantastical investor for the aspiring artist lead, played by James Marsden, who would usually have to depend on some form of investor, nepotism, or patron to get a leg up, but writer-director Bob Gale pushes him into a topsy-turvy road trip that pushes him to meet interesting, quirky characters and learn life lessons. It can get a bit eccentric, but nonetheless Interstate 60 takes surprising detours that make this road film stand out from the rest.

50. Babyteeth (2020)

7.4

Genres

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Director

Female director, Shannon Murphy

Actors

Andrea Demetriades, Arka Das, Ben Mendelsohn, Charles Grounds

Moods

Dark, Quirky, Weird

This artistic Australian coming-of-age drama stars Eliza Scanlen (Little Women, Sharp Objects) as Milla, a teen from a dysfunctional family. The father is a psychologist and the mother suffers from depression, so he medicates her under the table. Meanwhile, Milla, a 16 year old, starts dating a charismatic almost-homeless 24 year old drug dealer. Unusual circumstances make the family tolerate the relationship in this story where every character feels like the main one. 

If you’re looking for something different, you will love Babyteeth. Something happens to Milla in the 10 minute mark that descriptions and reviews online all mention – but is definitely a spoiler. Just know that it’s not all romance and coming-of-age, there is slow-burning darkness to this movie. 

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